“Very well. I’ll see to it the driver goes with you.”
“Sure.”
“Remember, don’t discuss your talent. You are simply the girl I fostered after my daughter’s death and my subsequent divorce.”
Relief washed through her. Giles must have faith the encrypted files kept her hidden from everyone’s radar. She’d stick to the story. “Got it.” She stood. “May I go?”
“Not quite. Sit.” He took out a manila folder.
Gaby collapsed back onto her chair. She wanted to remind him, she was due a break. That is, until she and Kane escaped. She couldn’t wait to rush back to her quarters and research their escape route. Getting a vehicle would be easy, until they acquired another one or found other means of transportation. Despite Kane’s help, it wouldn’t be easy to return to society. Her fake passports and IDs were inaccessible, locked from her. Once she left, Giles would freeze her bank account. Fortunately, she knew this day would come so over the past few years, she kept a few thousand dollars hidden in her cabin. She also kept a couple throw away phones as well. One here and one at home. “A new target?”
“Yes.”
Honestly, again. Too bad, I’ll be long gone. She pretended casual interest. “How soon?”
“Next week, you will go to Northern California.”
Gaby rarely performed assignments in the United States. Must be a terrorist or a mobster. She hoped. “California?”
“Yes. The target lives in Grass Valley, California.”
He took out a photo from a folder of a hipster-looking man who appeared in his thirties. “This is our target. Phil Renshaw, a computer programmer and hacker. Single father of two boys. He jogs the trails every morning at sunrise. Orion will make the kill. ”
The mountain lion had only been used once to kill a terrorist crossing over the Canadian border. Most of Gaby’s targets were evil, the scum of the earth. Her guts twisted. “You want a mountain lion to take out a single father?”
“The hacker is a whistleblower. His wife was an investigative reporter who got too close to the chimera lab. She was eliminated in a car accident a year ago. Sloppy since investigators found tampering with her brakes. Suspicious, Phil hacked into the lab two weeks ago. His termination must look accidental.”
“I doubt he still runs.”
“He doesn’t know we know.”
This gave her the initiative to leave finally, no matter the consequences. “His kids will be orphans.”
He scoffed. “You grew up without parents.”
No one knew better how devastating it was not to have a mother or a father to turn to. Her mood darkened. If Orion killed anyone, it would be Giles. She stood. “I better get to my cabin. See you later.”
Kane caught Gaby’s intriguing aroma as he knocked on the door. She opened it. He compelled the guards to stay outside her apartment. His wolf lurched out of his den and howled. “Wow!” She wore a black dress, modest, but still sexy as the material hugged her slim curves. Around her wrist was a beautiful silver bracelet with a green sea turtle that enhanced her green eyes. He entered and shut the door. “You look nice for our first date.”
“Let’s save the first date until after we get the hell out this place.”
Kane frowned. Her heart rate raced and he sensed high levels of stress hormones. “What’s wrong?” Had she found out something about him? Something that upset her to the point of not wanting anything to do with him?
“Just found out, next week, I’m supposed to fly to California with Orion our mountain lion and murder a young widower with two kids.”
“We’ll be long gone by then.”
Gaby blinked back tears. “Promise?”
“Trust me. You’ll never be forced to sic animals on anyone ever again.” He winked. “I’ll be the only beast doing your bidding.”
“Going to normal places like art museums and bike rides will be the only demands I’ll make,” she said.
He chuckled. “You’ve got it.”
“I bet a familiar site or scent will trigger your memories.”
“I hope so.”